Strands
by leggo lover 99
Summary: When our heroes were 5, they were mutated but washed away from one another. Each turtle ended up with a different being, unable to find one another. When Leonardo comes above ground he must bring his family together as a darkness grows in the city. But as they get to know each other, does someone know more than they're letting on! Read & review. (AU)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

My name is Leonardo, and fifteen years ago, when I was only five years into my life, I was just an ordinary turtle. However, after a young boy brought me from a shop, he grew tired of me and carelessly threw me into the gutter where I would have died, if not for a rat pulling me to safety. This rat's name was called Splinter, and he chose to take me to somewhere safe in order to look after me when others had carelessly tossed me away. But one day, a mysterious green ooze fell down the storm drain, landing on top of me and my saviour, transforming us into beings with my more human characteristics. I could think, speak and walk as the dreaded humans could, so Splinter became my adoptive father, and I his thankful son.

…

Or at least that was the story I was brought up to believe all my life, right up until a few days ago.

The night my father drew close to death's door, he became delirious, speaking without thinking. He had been ill for a very long time, and I was terrified to lose him – as one would expect from any child. Yet in this delirium, Splinter began to reveal some truths about my past, and that was when I stopped caring and lost my respect for this rat. I watched him die the next day without any emotion.

For fifteen years, he had kept me underground, training me to become a warrior while forcing me to undergo years of physical and mental abuse in order to "toughen my spirit." But that was not what angered me so. It was the fact he had lied about everything. Splinter had told of how he had passed the boy on the street who was lovingly carrying a bowl with some form of animal in, so the rat scared him on purpose, to make him drop the creature. Only there was not just one, there were four turtles. I had three brothers, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo.

There had been a bad storm and a flood of water picked us up, and carried us to the canister which mutated us all – yet before our transformations were complete, the water separated us, and the rat pulled me from the water and onto the broken canister – his only intention being to eat me, but when we awoke in the sewers – I had suffered a trauma of some kind to the head and had fallen very ill, making me forget my past five years of life. This made me the perfect tool for Splinter to craft into a weapon to use against the humans he hated so much.

All I went through was in complete ignorance that I was not alone – the fact I had _brothers_. So as I left the rat's corpse to rot alone, I swore an oath to find my real family and undo all the wrong that Splinter had taught me about the world above ground.

I am Leonardo, and this is my story.

 **So here's the start of my new idea. I could not leave this one alone. I have 41 pages of it in my notebook, so thought it a waste if it wasn't put up. I'll update as often as I can!**

 **Read, review, and tell me your thoughts! Any bets on who each turtle ended up with?! :) A mention goes to anyone who guesses right! :P**

 **More questions will come with each chapter! (And each chapter will be MUCH longer than this one!)**

 **LL99 out.**


	2. The Test

**Chapter 1**

 **Raphael P.O.V**

"Yo, Case – you coming?" Raph growled through the door, ready to bust it down if he was ignored again.

"Hold up dude! I wanna look right – you know?" Raph rolled his eyes at his brother's vanity.

"Beating up bad guys isn't exactly looking for ladies, you idiot." The turtle grinned, then added, "Unless you got a crush on one of the purple dragons!" He ducked as the door opened a fraction and a can of deodorant flew out, crashing into the wall opposite. A string of curses followed as the door shut again making Raph laugh. All the same, though… He took a subtle step sideways and checked himself out in the mirror – determined that if Casey was gonna look good, he would too.

In fact, if he was being honest, for a giant mutant turtle – he wasn't too bad, sure, the front of his plastron had large pieces broken off and the front was way lower than it was meant to be, but between what happened and the many fights he and Casey had had, it wasn't surprising really. His emerald skin was covered in numerous white scars, but overall, he did look pretty kick ass. Black bandana wrapped around the top of his head, a blood red ripped shirt (minus sleeves) and dark jogging bottoms did give him a look worthy of a night time vigilante. Yeah, Casey couldn't beat that.

"Well? What do ya think?" Casey threw open the door, making Raph quickly take a large enough step away from the mirror to avoid suspicion. He took in the human's clothing. He too had gone for an open, sleeveless shirt – but in black – with green baggy pants, bright red sneakers and…

"The hell's that?" Raph looked at the red piece of fabric across Casey's eyes, showing his dark pupils beneath the material which had two tails hanging down his back.

"My mask!" Casey struck a pose. "Cool right!"

"Wrong." Raph poked Casey's bare chest, "What the hell is that supposed to do? Hide your identity? Just... Just bunch it up under that greasy hair of yours." He sighed as Casey quickly check his hair in the mirror, he just could not believe his brother's stupidity. "Now come on. Are we going on patrol or not?"

With a huff, Casey followed Raph out the window and onto the roof.

"I still think the mask was cool. We could have gone colour co-ordinated or something." The human continued to complain as they climbed.

"Seriously? That's just lame." Rah called over his shoulder, but then paused and smiled to himself, "But if we did that – I would totally be red…"

 **Leonardo P.O.V**

Being above ground was slightly unnerving for me at first – true, I had been up numerous times for 'training' with Sensei, however the noise was one thing I could not easily adapt to, probably due to spending most of my life deep underground. Thankfully, my other senses remained undisturbed and I found an unusual scent upon the breeze from the north-east, a scent much like my own. It had to be one of my siblings.

Standing, I adjusted the fabric which cut across my left eye socket so it would not loosen as I ran, then counted off four rosary beads from the string attached to my obi in silent meditation of my mission. Living with the rat had torn a vast array of emotions from my being, yet surprisingly, I found myself nervous at the possibility of meeting a brother, and I relished this brief taste of emotion for it felt right – normal even. With a deep breath, I leapt from the rooftop and began tracking the scent until I discovered another smell infused with the original – the smell of human. Instinctively I tensed, but after a moment I forced myself to calm down. The rat had told me so many lies that I could no longer trust his views on matters outside fighting or strategy (the two matters he always spoke truthfully on) so his negative portrayal of humans could not be taken as fact.

It would be best to observe before going right in, so as I reached the rooftop above the scent, I stopped and looked over the edge to see a gang of purple clad men circling a human boy and – I drew in a deep breath – a mutant turtle. I had found one.

The turtle and the boy were joking loudly as they fought, and I marvelled at the way they used brute strength to overcome their opponents alongside the odd martial art move to gain the upper hand. As the turtle turned, I took in the heavily chiselled features, the bulging muscles and scared and bruised skin. He was clearly a hardened warrior like myself. His only flaw I could see at this point was the cigarette hanging between his teeth, something I was strongly opposed to, but it clearly did not hinder his ability as there was no weakness in the way the turtle fought – except perhaps overconfidence.

As soon as the last opponent fell and the boy began chatting passionately, re-enacting parts of the battle to my sibling, I made my move, silently descending and hiding in the shadows. Time to give this brother of mine a test…

 **Raphael P.O.V**

"Did ya see how I kicked that last one in the face?" Casey cheered, miming a less controlled movement than before – almost overbalancing.

"Well what about how I swept those two off their feet!" Raph countered, pleased with himself at the effectiveness of the move. He demonstrated it on Casey, sending the boy toppling onto the ground. "I think that was the –" Raph froze and turned away from his brother. He was certain someone had just come down from the opposite roof. Pulling a dagger from his top, he watched the shadows for a moment.

"Dude – what –"

"Shhh." Raph silenced Casey's question, then, after a short pause, yelled into the darkness "Come out and fight, ya coward!" There was a rustle and a gasp, followed by a soft whump as Casey dropped to the ground unconscious. But where was the assailant? "Come out!" Raph raised his voice even louder, moving closer to his fallen brother to protect him from whatever enemy was around. "Come out and face me!"

"Very well." A voice echoed from behind, causing Raph to spin and – without a pause – whip up a fist aimed at the average level of a head. But a blue robed figure ducked with ease, the head still cloaked in darkness.

"What?" Raph muttered at the speed of which the figure had dodged the powerful attack, yet there wasn't much time to think as the assailant took another step forward so the turtle prepared himself to take the bastard down. Raph raised his blade and began a complex series of strikes which Casey had picked up from a weapons based session at his local dojo, but once again, his efforts were practically useless against this mysterious opponent. Then, just as he landed a full forced stab, the figure darted behind Raph allowing the blade to be imbedded deep within the wall behind.

"Impressive. At least for someone stuck with a kid." The voice was emotionless but as Raph turned, he saw the figure had a genuine smile upon his face, however something else had made him stop. The figure was almost identical to Raph in appearance – he was a turtle.

The events of fifteen years ago rushed back to the shocked turtle at once – how he and his brothers, his _real_ brothers – had been mutated then separated in a wall of water, how he had longed to find them when he was younger, and how, as time passed and, as it became more hopeless to distinguish the smell of reptile amongst so many humans, how he had given up hope, settling for Casey as his adoptive brother.

"H…how?" Raph could only stammer, still not quite trusting his sudden turn of fortune. "I looked – but I couldn't find anyone…"

In a matter of fact manner, the turtle replied without any changes in the toneless voice,

"I grew up underground – the smell of humans hasn't become my normal so I can follow the more unique scents than someone who has been surrounded by them for so long."

Raph looked at the face shape beneath the thick black fabric across the left of the other turtle's features, recalling his memories of how his brothers had looked at five years old.

"Leonardo?" He guessed, and the turtle nodded, almost hesitantly.

"I am sorry." Leonardo's face lost his confident look that he had worn up until that moment, "I suffered memory damage after our separation. I know my brothers' names, yet what you all looked like…" he shrugged self-consciously then looked into Raph's eyes, "But from your expression when you saw me, I will guess you don't know where our other siblings are…"

"I'm Raphael – or just Raph…" Raph interrupted, noticing how his brother was beginning to look extremely uncertain about his inability to recall details. He was about to continue, but from the ground, Casey emitted a groan, yet remained still.

"But what the hell did ya do to him?" Raph moved to the human's side and kicked him lightly with a foot. At the change in conversation, Leonardo's face regained its self-assured look.

"He will be fine. I just targeted his pressure points. My…" once again discomfort settled upon his face, " _Sensei_ …" the word was spoken with a sharp twist of raw hatred, "taught me how to maim an individual without seriously hurting them." The turtles met eyes, "He will regain consciousness in half an hour. Do you have somewhere to stay?" He bent down and picked up Casey with such ease it was clear how strong he must be. Casey was no lightweight.

Raph nodded towards the left, indicating Leonardo should follow. Man, Casey was gonna be shocked when he woke up…

 **Unknown P.O.V**

Across the city from where the two brothers had been getting acquainted, one man sat alone in the dark, posed in silent meditation. A tentative knock on the door echoed through the room, and with a sharp call of "enter!" the man stood, his eyes still shut.

The door swung open and a purple clothed man was pushed into the room.

"Master, I apologise for my intrusion at this time-"

"Spit it out, vermin." The man growled, not even looking at the intruder to his meditations.

"Well, you know the vigilante turtle and the boy who have been giving the dragons trouble – well there seems to be a second turtle now."

The man moved with such speed, the purple dragon had to stifle a cry of shock. A blade was pressed to his throat as the Mater opened his red eyes, staring deep into the dragon's very soul.

"Tell me – was there a rat?"

 **DUN DUN DUN**

 **Ok, a bit of action and a bit of tension, so here's the questions:**

 **-Will Casey freak out at the second turtle?**

 **-What will Raph make out of Leonardo's story (or will it even be told!)?**

 **\- Who is the unknown P.O.V (bit of a stupid question really, I'm sure you can figure that out!)?**

 **-AND WHY do they want to know about "a rat"?!**

 **(I hope the scent explanation makes sense - I don't do science or whatever it comes under, so forgive me if it isn't technically accurate!... Hum.. Maybe if anyone knows the science of this we could use it when ANOTHER character is introduced...! :D )**

 **Review your thoughts and theories! See ya all in the next chapter!**

 **LL99 OUT! :)**


	3. Unease

**Chapter 2**

 **Leonardo P.O.V**

Surprisingly, I found I was thoroughly impressed with the boy's – who I found out to be called Casey – apartment, and was glad to find that its sole occupants were him and Raph. As I set Casey down on the worn out sofa, Raph stripped off his shirt and placed all his weaponry on various hooks on the wall.

"Wanna get outta that thing?" He nodded at my blue kimono, but I shook my head. I was not prepared to reveal myself and my numerous wounds and scars to anyone – nor would I be for as long as I could help it. "Fine." Raph grunted as he fell into one armchair, "But don't complain about the heat. I mean – I'm cold blooded, and I find it too bloody warm. That heater never stops."

We spent the next twenty minutes swapping stories about what happened after our lives after being separated – my tales heavily edited or vague due to unpleasant memories of the rat or due to genuinely not remembering much from the memory loss.

"So this Splinter was a bit of an arsehole?" One thing I had learnt about my brother was that he was extremely blunt and did not hesitate to say what was on his mind. I shrugged.

"The things he taught me were good, his views on the world…" I left that thought. Raph cleared his throat.

"So what's with the –" he ran a finger along his own face. I touched the fabric across my own.

"When I was younger my eye was… _damaged_ …" I chose the word carefully, not wanting to elaborate on that painful memory, "It's better to look at when covered." Of course, Raph wanted to see beneath it, but that was not going to happen. I had seen it in reflections many times and it still chilled me to the core – the memories of what happened to cause it would forever haunt me. Before his questions got any more painful and awkward to answer, I pointed to the human. "So he's like your brother?" I asked, genuinely puzzled over their relationship. Raph smirked softly, a gentle light igniting in his eyes.

"Yeah. After we got separated, I was washed up on the sidewalk when a kid found me and started to toss me around – luckily none of that ooze got on him – but he dropped me and –" He pointed to his severely cracked and mangled plastron, the top extremely uneven and a lot lower than my own. Large chunks were missing and other part bent. He must have hit the ground badly. "Casey saw that and stole me away from the jerk – he looked after me and helped me adapt to the changes that happened from the ooze, and I just returned the favour when his dad became a professional drunk. The bastard got real bad – started attacking Case, so I had to act. Scared the shit outta that old man, but at least Casey was safe. Next day – he killed himself." Raph shrugged. "We've been here ever since – and it means that we're safe – no drunk idiot beating him up."

I noticed how my brother's tone grew venomous, yet there was a fiery passion showing how deeply he felt for the boy, and an odd sensation crept up within my own dead heart. _Empathy_. For a human I had only just met, but who had undergone the same sort of punishments from an abusive father who had failed to protect the child in their care as I had.

I nodded.

"The smallest of warriors can carry the largest of burdens." I muttered, almost to myself, but Raph raised an eye ridge.

"What's that? Fortune cookie crap?" Yet the smile on his face showed he was only teasing me.

"My way of thinking." Was my answer, then I smiled back. It felt natural, just sitting, talking and teasing without the fear of being hit or beaten for something minor. I just hoped our other brothers had been as lucky as Raph had been…

 **April P.O.V**

"D – I'm home!"

"In the lab. Make sure you put on gear."

"When _haven't_ I done that?" April laughed, snapping on a pair of goggles as she entered the metal panelled room. "Any breakthroughs?"

Donatello turned to her, glasses resting across his beak, and he listed all the chemical changes in his formula.

"So not quite there." April sighed, taking a look at the small green sample of the original ooze she had collected upon Donnie's mutation sitting in the dish, looking so innocent as if it didn't transform beings from one state of existence to another.

"No." Donnie stood and stretched – the various cracks telling the woman that he hadn't left the lab since she had gone out at 9:15 that morning. The clock next to the desk now read 22:45. "I just can't stop thinking that if I could undo the effects of this… _mutagen_ " D tested the word April had recently settled upon for the sample, "maybe I could –"

"Become human?" April offered quietly, knowing that although he would never admit it, her friend secretly longed to be human so he could put his incredible intellect to good use in a real lab so he could help others. But of course, Donnie shook his head.

"No. To help other mutants – those who are less lucky… Ones who suffer from mental deterioration when they undergo transformation…" April nodded sympathetically. After her dad got mutated, her interest in the substance had increased dramatically, which in turn caused Donnie to join her in the search for a 'cure' until both had prioritised it above all other projects. She took his arm and pulled him from the desk.

"Come on – let's go get dinner… I found another place on the other side of town."

 **Leonardo P.O.V**

Within ten minutes of waking up, Casey had begun to grow on me – partially due to his face when he realised he was in fact seeing _two_ mutant turtles, and partially due to the fact he seemed a genuinely nice guy – unlike other humans I had the displeasure of meeting. Casey had instantly launched into all the questions me and Raph had already covered – how I grew up (once again heavily edited;) my inability to recall my brothers – so no, I did not know where the other two were; that the fabric over my face _did_ mean I only had one eye (for some reason everyone seemed overly enthusiastic of being half blind), and yes – that _is_ an actual katana hanging from my obi, deal with it, I carry a sword.

Casey was about to fire up a completely new round of questions when I held up a hand for silence, sniffed the outside air and then beckoned Raph over to the window to do the same.

"Smell that?" I watched him struggle for a moment to distinguish between the normal city smell he was accustomed to and the faint scent I had picked up. His eyes lit up.

"That's turtle alright! Plus human."

"Plus chemicals." I finished, my mind flashing back to my own experiences with that smell. It had to mean scientists. Raph must have noticed my expression change slightly and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Well what would a weird scientist be doing on the rooftops with a turtle? If they're with our bro, then they have to be mates."

I shrugged, showing acceptance of the argument, but was privately thinking of how the scent of another individual can stick to the wrong person after… _intimate_ contact. Sadly I knew that from experience, but for the sake of my brother, I hoped Raph was right.

"Dudes!" Casey was leaning out the window and sniffing loudly. I shared a look with Raph, as if to say _what is he doing?_ Raph merely shrugged. "You're good! All I'm getting is trash, the pizza shop nearby and –" Raph cut him off with a sharp elbow to the side.

"Let's go." I jumped through the window, closely followed by the others, and headed for the roof. This was going strangely to plan, as long as my fear was proven wrong – and deep inside me, something stirred. _Hope_. Another emotion long believed dead. Maybe we would be lucky… Maybe.

 **Unknown P.O.V**

After discovering from the lowly street criminal that the turtle was alone and that it only had one eye, the shadowed figure had ordered his men to punish the purple dragon for his incompetence for not taking out the wretched mutant. As the screams began in the next room, the figure moved down a concealed staircase behind his throne, and entered his secret laboratory.

"Stockman!" He barked, making the little man jump and drop to his knees, head bowed.

"Master! I… I wasn't… Um, I mean, I haven't…"

"Spit it out, you lowly insect!" The Master bellowed, delivering a kick to the scientist in anger. The scientist cried out, but started talking straight away – knowing that the alternative would lead to more pain.

"My M.O.U.S.E.R.S have located a body in the sewers, it is the rat you were looking for. His corpse has begun to decompose, but – as you requested – the body has been recovered and is being stored in the cooling unit. I've started extracting the mutagenic blood but it may take time…"

The Master considered his position at the current moment, and weighed up the possibility of the one eyed turtle coming to him before the experiment had been completed. He was satisfied with his calculations. Turning back to the cowering scientist, he lowered his voice.

"You have done well, Stockman. Alert me the moment you have finished with the extraction and then this _rat_ may finally be of use to us."

"Yes Master. Thank you." The scientist stammered, but the Master was already leaving.

The mutant had offered him a way to strengthen his personal army, yet had not delivered. Now, the young turtle knew too much, and if he was looking for his lost brethren, he was sure to become a problem – one the Master could not allow. He would need to eliminate all potential issues before they became so, but perhaps, there was a way around this one. The Master approached one of his guards.

"Get me my daughter. Tell her I will require her to visit an _old friend_."

 **DUN DUN DUN!**

 **So, here's the questions:**

 **\- How will Leo react to April?**

 **\- What's Donnie's story?**

 **\- What's the significance of Donnie's research?**

 **\- WHY DOES EVERYONE MENTION LEO'S EYE?! *Cough cough, stressed out Leo, cough cough!***

 **\- What happened to Leo's eye?**

 **\- AND WHO is the MASTER?!**

 **\- What does the master mean by Leo knowing too much?**

 **\- Oh, and who's his daughter?!**

 **That should get you thinking...**

 **LL99 OUT! :)**


	4. Watching

**Chapter 3**

 **April P.O.V**

"Do you always have to carry that stick every time I drag you out of the lab?" April laughed as they made their way across the rooftops.

"You didn't _drag_ me out." Donnie automatically corrected, "I came _willingly_. Furthermore, this is a _staff_ , not a stick. A bō staff to be accurate. You can tell the difference due to its length and width and is much more reliant than the average jō staff which is shorter meaning that the individual who wields it must be in a closer proximity to their opponent and –" April watched as the turtle leapt into an in depth analysis of various staffs and the techniques behind each. Although she had known him for around fifteen years, she could never get over his natural intelligence. One could almost forget he was a turtle. When they were younger, they had read books together, the way siblings always do, yet as April had reached the end of her high school years and began to struggle with some of her science work, Donnie somehow knew what the questions asked and began assisting her with the work. By the time she finished the final year, Donnie had taught her at university level and even on matters many of the top universities wouldn't cover in their courses due to the professors themselves being unable to explain the complex theories to students. Unsurprisingly, following all of this, April had snagged a place in a top uni by stunning a lecturer into silence by her knowledge on bioinformatics then gone straight into a well-paid job which allowed her do work from home in their make shift lab, allowing Donnie to work as her lab partner which all her colleagues would envy – at least if they knew of their existence.

"Therefore, I must carry the staff to ensure our safety – especially at night." Donnie finally concluded, making April laugh. Donnie shot her a confused look, "What?"

"I still can't believe you learnt all that and are able to use the bō _staff_ " she emphasised the word, "after reading a single old book I got from the library for a week." Donnie grinned in response, but suddenly froze as three figures emerged from the side of the roof in front of them. The turtle was about to grab his weapon, but as he took in the people before him, Donnie's eyes widened. April followed his gaze just as her friend muttered,

"Well so much for attackers."

 **Leonardo P.O.V**

As the scent got stronger, we began to catch the occasional glimpse of green and pink between the buildings until we could final see our brother clearly. I swapped a glance with Raph and Casey, and it was clear we were all thinking the same thing.

Our brother seemed to be a scientist of some sort, dressed in a purple tinged lab coat and a pair of taped up glasses, yet despite our initial reactions, another look showed he had a bō staff in a pouch on his back and despite his skinny frame, it became apparent that he was toned as the wind blew the lab coat against his skin. Apart from a large burn up the right side of his face, our brother looked almost unscathed – unlike myself and Raph. Perhaps the chemical smell was not to be feared after all.

I turned my attention to our brother's companion – a young woman around Casey's age with shocking ginger hair seemed to be watching our brother with a caring smile as he spoke, gesturing rapidly. The woman wore a pink shirt with a red mini skirt, pink thigh high boots and black fish net gloves. First Casey's strange outfit, now this? Humans' choices of outfits seemed strange to my eye.

As we continued along the rooftop, we quickly passed them, and I caught part of what our brother was speaking about. The turtle was lost in a speech about the strategies of bōjutsu, and I found myself impressed about the depth of his knowledge on the subject, along with a small pang of what I identified as jealously. Perhaps it was because my brother had gained knowledge on the secrets of ancient martial arts without bearing the scars I had to undergo during my own _education_. But maybe, a small voice in my head offered, he hides his scars as you do.

Shaking the dark thoughts from my mind, I gestured Casey and Raph to follow me behind a wall at the edge of the rooftop so we would wait for our brother to come closer. As the footsteps drew near, I nodded, and we stepped out – yet there was little surprise on my brother's face as he took us in, even muttering something to the woman while keeping a neutral expression. All the shock came from the woman.

"Casey?" We all spun to look at the two humans.

"Red?" He replied with a shocked but cocky grin, and within a heartbeat, they rushed towards each other and hugged. A flurry of excited talk began with the words "high school" "Never knew" and "amazing to see you again" cropping up.

With a shrug, our next brother moved over to us, an all knowing smile upon his face.

"Raphael, Leonardo." Ne nodded to us each in turn. I shot a look to Raph to help me out.

"Donatello!" he grinned and slapped our brother hard on the shell, causing the lanky turtle to stagger forward a few steps. "How ya been, brother?"

Donatello adjusted his glasses and shot us both a look, his gaze emotionless and examining. I suppressed a shudder as the memories of others who wore similar gazes shot back to me. I pushed them back, drawing myself back to the present – to my brothers.

"Quite well actually." He finally stated, "Much better than you by the looks of things." His gaze turned directly at me, "Leonardo, what's with –" he gestured to my hidden eye socket causing me – once again – to curse my disfigurement and everyone's interest in it.

"Old war wound." I stated simply, "There's nothing left there to worry about." Donatello raised an eye-ridge, more out of curiosity then shock.

"How was it stitched? Under what conditions was the procedure carried out? Who operated?"

I knew it wasn't appropriate, yet I felt a bubble of laughter rise inside my chest – an experience I had rarely encounter over the course of my life – and before I could help myself, I burst out laughing, causing my brothers to look at me as if I had gone mad. Which, in all fairness, was quite likely. I waved off their concerned glances.

"There was no operation, but it was done." I smirked at the idea of my brother knowing the truth, "So what are you? A doctor?"

"Scientist actually." My brother took off his glasses and wiped them on the edge of his lab coat, thankfully taking my hint to move away from the subject of my injury. "I learnt stuff from April's old school books then we discovered I understood the concepts better than I should have – even more than she could." This was stated without even the slightest hint of pride causing me to admire Donatello's modesty. "I taught her and she went to university, getting new material for us to study. Now she has a home based job and I'm her lab partner." At this Raph nudged Donatello and wiggled his eye-ridges.

"Partner – partner?" I rolled my eye. Trust him to make crude suggestions.

"No." Donatello replied simply, "April's like a sister." That sobered Raph up. He nodded in understanding and looked towards Casey. I felt a slight twinge of… _Jealousy_ … yet I ignored it. I had to be happy that my brothers had been found by such caring people and treated as family. That was what I had to focus upon.

The Donatello decided to interrupt my thoughts.

"So what about you, Leonardo?" I was about to roll out the vague – suffered memory damage so can't remember much story, yet Raph got there first.

"He was stuck in the sewers with some rat who got mutated with us and was a bit of an arsehole." That made Donatello's eyes widen in shock.

"Is that how you lost your eye?" He asked bluntly. Why wouldn't the subject drop? I cursed silently.

"Not exactly. He…" I phrased the next words carefully, trying not to recall the agony of those painful days, "Ensured there was no infection after it was… damaged."

"In that case –" Donatello stepped forth, "I should have a look." I batted his hand away and shock my head in a determined no.

"It was ten years ago." I reasoned, "Nothing else can be done." My brothers shared a look, yet thankfully the humans chose that moment to join our little gathering, saving me from further questions.

"We knew each other from high school." Casey explained to me, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Raph smirk – there was obviously a story behind these two. Donatello also seemed aware of some unspoken thing for he was coolly analysing the raven haired man then swapping an unimpressed look with April. I would have to question them later.

"April," Donatello gestured in our direction, "These are Leonardo and Raphael." At this, the woman's face lit up and she threw her arms around our shells, making me flinch at the sudden contact. I braced, ready for an attack, yet I saw Raph grin and pat her back slightly.

"Nice to meet ya too." He shot me a look and raised his eye-ridges. "Got a good grip on ya."

April released us, blushing furiously,

"I'm sorry – it's just, I've _always_ wanted to meet D's brothers! He's told me so much and –" Then her face suddenly morphed into the same examining expression Donatello had kept on throughout our meeting. "May I just ask if you've ever taken an IQ test? I mean, Donnie is off the charts so I wondered if there was some chemical component in the mutagen which triggers a form of neurological stimulation which results in not only human like qualities but an enhanced –" Donatello – or Donnie as he seemed to be called by April – cut her off with a hand on her shoulder.

"How about we head home before we start hypothesising?" April touched the hand almost apologetically.

"I'm sorry." She directed at me and Raph, "It's the scientist in me, well, in us – D's more of a genius than I'll ever be."

Raph crossed his arms.

"Sorry, lady, but my IQ is right down there with rocks. I ain't no genius." Casey laughed and the knuckleheads bumped fists.

"Leonardo?" I saw her eyes hesitate over my covered face for a moment too long to be natural, but I chose to ignore it. I shrugged, hiding my discomfort.

"I'm sorry, I know that an IQ is some sort of measure of intelligence, but beyond that I'm new to a lot up here. I have no idea how it's measured, I'm guessing there's some sort of test?" My confession brought a collective look of sympathy – which I despised – but Donnie was the first to recover.

"Um, yeah. There is a test which generally takes one to two hours to complete – you can do a load of unofficial ones on the internet – but the questions we use for our research are the same ones used by elite IQ societies." I nodded, following what my brother said. April smiled.

"If you and Raph don't mind – would you be able to each complete a test when we go back to our apartment – you know, just for curiosity's sake?"

I watched Raph's reaction to it, so when he nodded, I did too. As long as it was only a quiz and not any experiments then I could cope. Donnie looked pleased, a mad glint in his eye I had seen before, yet the compassion his gaze also held removed my concerns. This woman had accepted my brother and allowed him to educate his obviously naturally brilliant mind, so maybe – just maybe – scientists were not all evil. Maybe there was a side to the profession I had yet to encounter.

"Shall we head back? We were heading over to get some food, but we may as well get a delivery." At that Raph and Casey cheered, but I looked on confused.

"A delivery of what?" I found myself asking. The others shared another look – more pity and surprise, but they quickly muttered something between themselves then smiled. Raph slapped me hard on the shell and I hid a wince as a fiery pain shot down my spine. Thankfully no one noticed.

"Wait till you try pizza, man. It's the best!" With a shrug, I accepted my fate and we headed back to April's apartment. My search for our final brother would have to wait till morning.

 **Nathan / N.S.K P.O.V**

Across the street, a little kid was holding some binoculars close to his face, staring in disbelief at the sight on the rooftop.

Grinning to himself, the kid pulled out an old mobile and keyed a number.

" _S'up_?" The voice answered.

"Yo. Mikester – It's North Street King. I may have just got a glimpse of your homies. Want me to follow?" There was a pause, obviously the Mikester was just as surprised as he was.

" _Nathan_ _–"_ The boy sighed, he hated his real name. North Street King – now that had sparkle. " _If ya don't mind, follow and see where they go. Then come home, you've been on look out for a while, brah. It's getting late. We'll gather the team then we'll think of something._ "

"Is the big L there?" Excited, the kid asked, and his friend laughed.

" _Yeah, bro. He's here._ " There was a voice in the background. " _He says hi._ "

"I'll be there soon. Save some grub for me! Oh and Mikester – call me N.S.K – as in _Nask_ , got me?"

" _Sure thing dude. Whatever you say. See ya soon, N.S.K_."

The Mikester cut off and the N.S.K grinned. He loved the guy, but honestly – the Mikester didn't belong with the rest of them street orphans, neither did the big L. They were misfits like N.S.K himself, but even more so.

Humming a tune to himself, the kid pocketed his phone and began to follow the figures jumping roof to roof. He'd soon get where they lived, and then his team could all crash the party.

 **Unknown P.O.V**

"Father?" The woman bowed before the Master's throne. "You called for me?"

"Indeed I did." The Master stood and gestured for his daughter to follow him into the hidden lab. "We have recovered the rat and it seems his perfect weapon has been lost. I need you and your men to find it and bring it to me." He turned sharply, and his daughter bowed her gaze. She knew better than to stare defiantly towards her master and father. "And ensure there are no witnesses. If our plan is to succeed, we must strike hard and fade into the night. Understood?"

"Yes, Master." His daughter bowed and left the room, leaving the Master alone.

He looked down at the now frozen corpse and at the canisters slowly filling with the creature's blood.

"You promised me a weapon and you failed." The Master cursed the rodent, "I shall implement your plan from now on, and if it does not perform the way I intend it to, then it shall be destroyed using your own mutated blood."

In anger, the Master slammed a fist into the wall then left the room, confident that if anyone could set things right – it would be his daughter.

 **Just a short piece from the Master today, but here's the questions:**

 **\- Why is Leo so edgy around scientists?**

 **\- What will his first experience of Pizza be like?! XD**

 **\- Who is the Mikester?! (You'll get that easy!)**

 **\- Who is the Big L?!**

 **\- Any guesses at Raph and Leo's IQ's?!**

 **I appreciate your thoughts on this AU - since I've never done them before, so if you're finding it dull please let me know, as so far reception for this story hasn't been all that great.**

 **Reviews are needed to boost my confidence with this thing! :(**

 **Anyway, read, review, let me know your thoughts and guesses...**

 **LL99 OUT!**


	5. Message

**Chapter 4**

 **Leonardo P.O.V**

"This is incredible! Leonardo, your IQ is clearly much higher than average – I would say up there in the 'superior' category!" The woman – April – had just calculated mine and Raph's IQ while we had rested our brains following the seemingly random questions by listening to Donnie's tale of how he ended up with April. So far he had told us how he got washed out onto the sidewalk – much like Raph – only he was lucky to be spotted by April who immediately took him back to her apartment and treated him as a brother. He had just got to the part about April and him becoming lab partners, when said human had rushed over with a huge excited grin on her face, clutching pieces of paper with the results on. "You scored 130," she continued, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Donnie smile at her behaviour. "That puts you well above average, but not as high as Don."

"Last time we checked – 160." My brother muttered, still no hint of pride when he spoke about his apparent genius. Beside me, Raph crossed his arm with a smirk.

"So there was something in that ooze which made us all smarter?" He joked, but despite his bravo, I could see something in his face which told me he was eager to be classed as intelligent by human standards. But sadly, April's face fell.

"Sorry, Raph – but our hypothesis was wrong. It appears to enhance your cerebral stimulation –"

"English." Raph interrupted with an eye roll. The woman huffed in joke annoyance.

"The mutagen allowed your brains to absorb information easier than a regular mind, but you only achieve high levels of intelligence through study – something I am certain you would not have undergone with him." She tilted her head towards Casey with a fond smile on her face. "You got a score of 90, Raph. Just in the average range."

I could read disappointment in my brother's face, no matter how well he tried to hide it, so I thought it best to ask the question I had been meaning to ask since our encounter on the rooftop.

"April. How did you and Casey know each other?" I was greeted by smirks all around. Raph leant over to his friend.

"So this was the " _hot chick_ " who was " _totally not into you_ " when you asked her out?" Both of the humans blushed as another voice spoke up.

"And if I'm correct in guessing that this is the same " _lumbering ape_ " who you were forced to tutor for a year, then I guess me and Raph can fit the pieces together?" Donnie observed from his chair, a trace of a smile apparent in his eyes. I watched the banter and felt surprised at myself. I had spent so many years hardening my heart so I did not feel emotion, yet surrounded by these people – my family, no less – I was feeling a near constant tug at my heart, letting me know how important it was for me to protect them.

I then realised they were all staring at me. I hurriedly attempted to think of a response.

"So you were stuck with this bonehead for a year?" I teased, receiving a laugh from my brothers and a "I'm right here, you know." From Casey. April laughed then nodded.

"He had to pass math in order to stay on the hockey team – if I recall correctly. As one of the top students, I was asked to mentor him as nobody else would, so that's what I did."

"She got me through," Casey grinned, "and so I asked her out for the end of year prom, but…"

"But I said no. Don and I were working on building our first proper lab at that stage." Casey's eyes went wide.

"You told me you had another date!" April shrugged.

"Did you see me there?" The shaggy haired man shook his head, confirming the story.

I was just about to ask about their relationship – as with my limited knowledge of human conduct, hugging someone the way they did usually indicated a more than 'just friends' relationship – when a brick flew through the window, landing in a pile of shattered glass.

In an instant I was on my feet, my katana ready for an attack. I gestured for everyone to move away from the windows and peered through the shattered frame. On the street below, a scrawny looking kid waved with a cheeky grin. I didn't recognise him, so let him run away, laughing all the while. I turned back to the others.

"Just a kid." They shared a look.

"Um… Were you expecting someone else?" I cursed myself for allowing my paranoia to become visible. I shook my head, and bent over to retrieve the brick. On the underside, a message was scrawled on the stone.

"Meet us at this address tomorrow night, 8PM." I held out the brick to the others. "Know where that is?" Four nods greeted me. "Good, we'll be going there."

Taking the brick back, I memorised the address, then sat back down, waiting for the others to cautiously do so.

"So…" Casey began.

"So what was with the freakin' ninja act?" Raph exploded, "The brick didn't even hit he bloody ground and you were gone!" I shook my head.

"I told you, I was trained for most of my life below ground in the ways of Ninjustsu. Technically, I _am_ a ninja. It's not an act." For that, it seemed no one had a good comeback, so I continued. "The way that kid looked up suggested he's not a threat – he's just the messenger, but we need to be careful in case who ever employed him isn't of the same character." Inside I was thinking back to the rat and his masters, preparing myself in case they were the characters we should bump into the next night.

I stood once more, and moved towards the window, watching carefully. A black shape materialised on the rooftop opposite and for the briefest of moments, I met the shadow's eyes and a wave of fear – pure, terrifying _fear_ – swept down my spine. A second later they had vanished.

We were too exposed here.

"We have to leave." I turned back to my family, hoping my eye would hide the terror I now felt.

"What?"

"Why?"

"Come on man!"

"Silence!" I ordered, hating to use such a harsh tone, but knowing time was stacked against us. "I'll explain when we're somewhere safe – but at the moment, we need to leave here. People obviously know where we are, and if they aren't friendly, then we are too exposed. Casey." The man jumped as I suddenly turned to him. "Can we all spend tonight at your place?" I received a nod, and with one last glance out the window, I left the room, telling the others to grab what they needed, and then follow me.

My fears had been realised, they knew I was alive and what I was doing. I had to find my final brother and then I had to prepare for war.

 **Unknown P.O.V**

The woman had seen her former play-thing for only the briefest of moments, yet already she felt her heart beat increase. She could remember his cries, his screams and the smell of his fear and pain, and already, she longed to experience that again.

She knew he would not be as easy to break this time – he had been so easy all those years ago – but that would make the game so much more interesting. It was no lie, she felt something for that turtle, something deep and raw – something _dangerous_. Yet her job commanded that she must obey her Master's wishes, and that meant she had to destroy all threats to the clan.

But that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the time she could spend alone with him.

"Watch the building. He shall be ordering them all to move base tonight, so do not lose track of them. Fail me, and you shall suffer."

"Hai!" The black clad soldiers all bowed at her orders, and as one, they slipped into the night to observe and follow their prey.

Oh they could run, but when the Master was in total control of this city – they could never hide from the Foot.

 **DUN DUN DUN!**

 **So it** ** _is_** **the Foot! Well done to all who guessed!**

 **Sorry it's a shortish and dullish chapter, but the tension shall begin in the next chapter!**

 **So questions (I do know the answers, I'm just interested on what you all think!)**

 **\- Who is this woman?**

 **\- Why does Leo FEAR her?**

 **\- What would she do to him if she was "alone" with him?!**

 **Find out soon.**

 **Please review, it keeps these stories going!**

 **LL99 OUT!**


	6. Meeting

**Chapter 5**

 **Leo P.O.V**

It took an hour to get to Casey's flat despite it only being a quarter of an hour walk. Of course, everyone was moaning and the humans especially were getting out of breath by my constant changes in speed and direction, yet by the time I ushered my family in through the window, I was confident I had lost all the tails I had spotted. My past was nothing if not persistent.

And then of course it was time to explain myself to the others. Or at least, give some form of an explanation. Once everyone had seated, and the curtains were closed, I began attempting to justify my actions.

"I understand this is hard for you to understand since you've been able to live above ground for all of your lives, but there is a group of individuals in this city who want to capture and… _Contain_ mutants, like ourselves." I took in both of my brothers' faces and read the anger, fear and confusion hidden within.

"How'd ya know 'bout all this crap?" Raph cussed, crossing his arms in frustration. I met his cold gaze with my own.

"I've had to try and escape them many times. They are relentless in hunting our kind down." It was close enough to the truth to satisfy their questions, yet far away from the full story. That was something I couldn't share until the time was right. "I reacted in the manner I did when your window was smashed, April – because I was concerned that they had found us. Thankfully – I am certain the boy is not working for them, it isn't their style to send messages via bricks." I frowned, "But that does leave the question as to whom wishes to meet with us…"

"One more thing." Donnie interrupted my musings, straightening his glasses as he did so. "Who are 'they' you keep referring to. What do we need to look out for?" I took a quick glance out between the curtains, and once I was certain all was clear – I threw them open and pointed to a tall building on the far side of the city, only just visible amongst the mass of skyscrapers dominating New York's skyline.

"That. That is the headquarters of this organisation. They are the last remaining group of a corrupt and power hungry ninja clan dating back to Feudal Japan."

"Wait." April stood, her face shocked. "That's the penthouse of Councilman Oroku. You don't mean to say…" I nodded.

"Yes. That man is corrupt and without honour. He funds the clan and appears as a model citizen to divert any suspicion on the balancing of his accounts and any strange activity in his premises." Shaking my head I closed the curtains back up. "Before I came to look for you, I was running from the clan's ninjas – and the symbol they bore is the same as that on everything owned by the Oroku Foundation." I grabbed a pen and piece of paper from the table beside Raph's chair, and scribbled the symbol. A kamon of a flame with a foot inside. "The mark of the Foot clan inside the kamon – a family crest –" I quickly added at the confused looks, "of the Oroku family. It's no coincidence. The two are linked. Be cautious." I put the paper down again and asked if there was a spare room I could use to rest. Casey pointed me in the direction of a back room – a cramped area with a small bed, sofa and a wardrobe filled with spare sheets, pillows and blankets, but little else. He asked if he and Raph could join me in there to sleep – for Casey wanted to be the gentleman and allow April to take the main bedroom, allowing Donnie – the other guest – to take the sofa in the main living room. I agreed and left them for the night. Once alone, I pulled three candles from inside my kimono and set them down in front of me next to a stick of incense, and moved into the half-lotus position. Taking deep breaths I lit two of the three candles, and whispered a prayer in Japanese for my final brother's safety as well as a short prayer for the success of my mission to come. Once my words had reached their end, I relaxed my form and fell into a deep trance, allowing the painful memories of the past to wash away and a new burst of hope at finding most of my family lit my thoughts. Maybe some good would come of it in the end.

As the scent of the incense faded, I opened my eyes to see Donnie and Raph had joined me in the spare room – Donnie clearly not wishing to impose in the human's home any more than he had already had – they must have entered while I was in my trance. Both had stripped down out of their various garments and left them in two separate piles upon the floor. How lucky they were to feel safe enough to bare themselves in such a way, I found myself thinking as I placed the candles away in the folds of my own clothing. Obviously, I was not going to do such a thing, so before I unfolded a sheet to sleep on – I had assured Raph earlier that I preferred the floor to any cushioned surface – I took an extra sheet out of the wardrobe and wrapped it around my body before fully removing my kimono and only hiding myself under the sheets. I only loosened the fabric covering my eye, not trusting myself without it. Certain that I would awaken before my brothers, I knew that I could get changed without them seeing me when morning came, and hopefully the sleep would allow me to think clearer the next day. I couldn't afford anymore slips like earlier when I saw that monster on the rooftop…

With that thought, I closed my eye and allowed myself to drift off into a world where the shadows had receded and every demon had fled.

Yet I knew when I awoke, reality would continue its cruel game with my soul…

 **Nathan / N.S.K P.O.V**

"Are you sure this is where you said we'd meet them?"

"Sure, Mikester. I told ya, the North Street King has it covered." Honestly, the boy had never seen his friend so nervous. Big L was there as well, but curled up close to the ground to draw less attention to himself. Man, this must be the most exciting thing to happen in the past few months, the streets had been unusually quiet lately, and N.S.K was getting bored. He just hoped his friend wouldn't be disappointed if these people weren't who he hoped they were. The group had faced disappointment before, and it sucked. Big L would go into one of his moods where he buried himself in his work and upgrading security systems while Mikester would vanish into his room for several days. Who knows what he did in there, but he would always emerge as if nothing had happened.

So yeah, this time he was certain he had the right people and that wouldn never have to happen to N.S.K's family ever again.

Checking the time, N.S.K nodded to his friend. It was time. Mikester stopped his pacing and pulled his bandana up over the lower part of his face – the faded image of a grinning mouth covering his own. It was a habit he tended to display whenever he was nervous. And then big L sat up, his long face sniffing the air. He grinned, his teeth glinting in the gloom.

"Our boy's done good." He confirmed, causing N.S.K's heart to swell in pride. If big L smelt them, then it was pretty much certainty that those approaching where who they expected. There was a pressure on his shoulder, and the boy looked down to see a three fingered hand.

"Thanks, man." Mikester whispered then gathered N.S.K into a quick bro hug, which the boy eagerly returned.

"Least I could do." He replied, then saluting his friends, he began to move away. He wanted this moment to be special for Mikester after all he had done for him and his friends – so he could at least offer him some privacy.

But he would at least stay close enough to keep watch in case something _did_ go wrong.

That's the thing with mutants, you never know…

 **Donnie P.O.V**

Despite April's reassurances that the meeting would be fine, Donnie couldn't help but feel that he would need his bō staff, so ignoring his lab partner's critical glare, he slung the staff into the holster on his back. Thankfully, he wasn't the only one being paranoid – he noticed Raph and Casey gear up as if a fight was coming, however the genius wasn't certain if it was natural paranoia or if it was heightened by their brother's bizarre tale of an ancient ninja clan taking mutants off the streets.

The group eventually left the safety of the apartment at half seven, following Leonardo. As they tracked the rooftops in silence, Donnie couldn't help but feel that there was something more going on with his brother, for when he and Raph had turned in the night before, Leonardo was meditating and when they awoke – he was up and about. Donnie felt some form of tension around him, but considering what Raph had said about Leonardo being raised underground with a mutant who sounded less than agreeable, Donnie guessed what he and Raph considered normal would be slightly disorientating for his brother. But there was also the issue of his eye…

Leonardo stopped suddenly and raised a hand – signalling for them to stop, cutting Don's thoughts short.

"We're here." Looking down, the group could see a half hidden shape among the shadows and another – smaller – figure standing in the middle of rooftop, looking their way. "Let's go."

Cautiously the group moved down and closer to the figure, and at first, Donnie was certain there was a mistake for the figure had a wide grin plastered over his dark face, yet with a second glance, the scientist could see the figure was wearing a bandana with the creepy grin printed upon its surface. But as soon as Donnie took in the rest of the figure, he knew they had found their final brother. He was clearly a turtle, green skin and shell clearly visible under the baggy dust coloured dungarees. Strangely he also had a bicycle chain wrapped around his forearm.

"Michelangelo?" Raph stepped forwards, and the turtle's eyes flickered between his brothers, slowly taking them in before his eyes crinkled into a genuine smile and he pulled the bandana down revealing a real smile.

"Dudes!" He cried, and before any of them could react, he rushed over to them and wrapped his arms around all three of them. Burying his face in their collective plastrons. "I never thought I'd see you guys again!" Donnie put his arms around the shorter turtle as did Raph, so they were all trapped in a collective embrace, which – it was quite obvious by the tense figure beside him, that Leonardo was slightly uncomfortable with. Once they had detangled, Michelangelo looked over his shoulder and beckoned the other figure they had seen forward. As he unfolded and emerged from the darkness, the group could only stare.

"Bros – and random humans who I guess are you're friends" he added quickly with a wink, "meet Leatherhead – or for short – big L."

Leatherhead smiled – slightly unnerving when it revealed lines of jagged teeth – and straightened to almost eight feet high. Donnie felt his eyes widen. So mutagen did this to this alligator as well… Raph regained his senses first – Leonardo being more quiet than usual.

"Um… Hi. I'm Raph, this is Casey, April, Donnie and Leonardo." He gestured to each of the group in turn, and the alligator nodded at everyone with a smile, yet as Raph reached Leonardo's name – the air suddenly changed.

"YOU!" The giant mutant roared, and before anyone could react or gage what was happening, Leatherhead charged towards the kimono clad turtle, his eyes clouded over in fury.

"LH! NO!" Michelangelo cried, yet before anyone could react, the giant brought his claws down on the seemingly paralysed Leonardo, his wide jaws open, ready to devour his prey.

And all Donnie could do was watch in horror.

 **DUN DUN DUN!**

 **SO,**

 **What's going to happen next?**

 **What's big L up to? (well done everyone who guessed it was LH!)**

 **Will Leonardo ever survive such an opponent?!**

 **Why was Leonardo so secretive before sleeping?**

 **WHEN WILL I ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS?!**

 **Review** **and find out soon! XD**

 **LL99 out.**


	7. Escape

**Chapter 6**

 **Leonardo P.O.V**

As Leatherhead emerged from the shadows, I knew what was going to happen. After all, our last meeting was pretty memorable. If he hadn't tried to eat me, I would have been on edge until he did. Despite this, I knew that revealing this knowledge to my brothers would jeopardise my place with them at this stage in our introductions, so for this reason – I had to let the alligator attack me. As Leatherhead charged and brought his claws down, I shifted sideways slightly so the blow couldn't be lethal, but it still hurt. The mutant's claws had pierced through my kimono and it felt like a chunk had been taken out of my forearm, yet I had suffered worst before. My brothers screamed my name, but, ignoring them, I allowed instinct to take over. I distanced myself from the pain – as the rat had taught me – and focused on the opponent. With a quick turn, I moved out of harm's way and got ready to deliver my own attack when three shapes darted out in front of me. Raph, Casey and Donnie – all with their weapons out ready to protect me.

Once again, this unfamiliar feeling rose within me. I had a family and they were willing to stand up for me. My knees actually felt weak at the thought, and I stumbled, yet April grabbed my arm, supporting me – clearly believing that it was due to my arm injury and blood loss rather than from surprise.

"DUDE! Chill, LH!" Michelangelo's voice cried out, diving between us and the giant mutant, his hands raised as if he could hold back the pure hatred facing me. Yet to my surprise, my brother's plea seemed to reach Leatherhead, for the narrow slits of his eyes widened and he took a step back, but his eyes remained locked onto mine, letting me know he would not forgive so easily.

"This cannot be your brother, my friend." He growled, "He is a _demon_!" As if to prove his point, he raised his now bloodied claw, watching my lifeblood drip through his digits. "This is _nothing_ compared to what he did to _me_." I continued to meet his gaze, yet I saw my brothers all share a look in confusion.

"Leonardo?" D looked over his shoulder, "Care to comment?"

I shrugged, ensuring it looked weak while I faked a grimace as if in terrible pain. "I... I have no… clue…" I stammered out, hoping to suggest the blow had caused weakness. If my brothers were preventing me from fighting him, I would have to get out of this situation another way. For this plan to work, I would need to be convincing. "But…" I tried to take my weight away from April, releasing my arm from her grip. It should appear as if I was trying to move forward, but in reality I was preparing myself to dramatically end this awkward conversation. "I'm sure… that we could… reach some… agreeme-" I cut myself off, and saw my brothers' eyes widen. I stumbled, and quickly put a hand to my head, suggesting dizziness but in reality I reached for a pressure point in my neck to cause blackout. "Oh…" Sighing, I tripped forward as I hit the pressure point subtly, and instantly my vision darkened.

I heard my brothers cry out, yet their voices seemed a long way away.

This should work in my favour…

 **Donnie P.O.V**

It's strange how the mind responds to shock, Donnie found himself thinking as he watched his brother get slashed by the giant alligator's claws – for if he thought it through, he would have more chance of helping April support Leonardo rather than holding up a staff as if he could stop the enraged mutant, but in an instant he found himself shoulder to shoulder with Casey and Raph. Where was the logic in that? He was no fighter.

Thankfully, it did not even get to blows for Michelangelo jumped in front of Leatherhead, screaming above the growls of his friend.

"DUDE! Chill, LH!" Michelangelo's voice cried out, and Donnie found himself amazed at the bravery it took to get between an enraged friend and a brother, and eventually, Donnie watched the alligator take a step back grudgingly, and his pupils widen.

"This cannot be your brother, my friend." The alligator's voice was low, "He is a _demon_!" As if to prove his point, he raised his now bloodied claw, watching the thick blood fall to the floor. "This is _nothing_ compared to what he did to _me_." Before he could stop himself, Donnie felt his eyes widen and spun to face his pale looking brother.

"Leonardo? Care to comment?" He asked. He wanted his brother to deny everything, to call the mutant crazy – yet the bleeding turtle had revealed so little about his past, that there was a chance – no matter how small – that Leatherhead was telling the truth.

"I... I have no… clue…" Leonardo stammered, and Donnie noticed how weak his brother looked. He was in a bad way. "But… I'm sure… that we could… reach some… agreeme-" Suddenly, he stumbled and fell forward, only a quiet "Oh…" escaping his lips. Before he had time to process anything – Donnie dropped his staff and dived forward, catching his brother before he hit the floor. Behind him, he heard his other brothers shout out Leonardo's name, but Don was focused solely upon the turtle in his arms.

"April – help me here." He called over his shoulder, and together they moved the turtle so he was laying down. Resting a hand over the wounded arm, the genius quickly ordered the others to give him some space. He rolled up the sleeve of the kimono so he could examine the forearm and to his horror a large chunk of flesh was missing and was bleeding heavily. "We need bandages. Fabric. Anything!" Don snapped as he began to put pressure on the wound. April moved out of sight for a moment, then returned with what looked like Raph's jacket. Despite being unhygienic, it was all they had. He nodded and wrapped it around the wound as a makeshift covering. "We'll do better in the lab." He muttered, hating the fact Leonardo had dragged them further away from their home for _safety_ reasons, "April, do you think –" but he was cut off by Michelangelo's small voice.

"We have medical supplies at the lair." He piped up, "We have to get underground and go through the sewers – which isn't the most clean – but we can patch him up there." He shrugged. Donnie quickly calculated the possibilities in his head. They could go with their final brother to guaranteed supplies but risk infecting the wound by traveling through the sewers, or he could send April to buy supplies which may not be suitable for the severity of the wound. Grudgingly, he nodded.

"It'll be our best option." He sighed. "Raph – could you…?" The muscle bound turtle nodded and helped pick up their brother, carefully holding the damaged limb so not to hit it. Donnie couldn't help but marvel at his strength, for as he had caught Leonardo himself, he had almost toppled under the weight of his brother. He was obviously muscular under the kimono from his years of training.

In silence, the turtles followed the alligator down the fire escape to the dark alley below, their human friends close behind. Honestly, Donnie wanted to question Leatherhead on why he was certain Leonardo was a " _demon_ " confused at how the two had come to meet – if indeed they had. But the logical part of his mind did not wish to express doubt towards the large mutant who had just taken a gruesome chunk out of his brother's arm out of pure rage. No, that would be foolish. He would have to raise the subject with Michelangelo if he were to survive such a questioning.

Within minutes, the group had slipped through the manhole cover into the darkness of the city's subsystems, Leonardo being carefully passed down between Casey and Donnie to Raph. The last of the light was vanquished as Leatherhead closed the manhole lid behind April, who moved closer to Donnie.

"I can't see." She murmured, "How are we supposed to navigate to their lair like this?" Donnie shrugged – a wasted gesture in the darkness, yet as he pondered the question – he understood the reasoning.

"You don't know if you can trust us yet." He spoke up, directing his thoughts in the direction of where Michelangelo had been. "You need it to be dark so we can't find your lair again."

There was a long silence, and if it wasn't for the small swish of water from Leatherhead probably moving his tail, Donnie would have thought they had vanished. Eventually his brother spoke.

"It's not that we don't trust you…" Michelangelo started, but a growl from his friend made him change tack, "Well, it's for the kid's protection." Donnie felt his eyes widen – Michelangelo had kids? How did that happen? Was it – "We've taken a lot of homeless kids off the streets, or those escaping gangs or even some which had been abused in what was supposed to be their homes. All of them now have somewhere safe where they can escae to whenever they need to." Donnie breathed a sigh of relief. Obviously there couldn't be _biological_ kids! What was wrong with his logical mind today? Must be the stress…

"I do not want anyone else to know our location unless they are _proven_ to be trustworthy." Leatherhead added with a growl.

"As interesting as this is –" Raph's voice emerged from the darkness, "Our brother _is_ bleeding out, so could we move our asses and get the hell outta the dark and get a move on!"

Almost grudgingly, two small sticks of light flared up, and Michelangelo passed one over to Donnie while he kept the other attached to his dungarees. Glow sticks. Effective.

"Come on then. It's not far."

And once again the group moved off, unaware that despite their measures to be secretive, they had been spotted.

 **Scout 36 P.O.V**

As the mutants disappeared down from sight into the sewers, the Foot Scout pressed their com unit and waited for the beep to tell him his mistress was listening.

"Scout 36 reporting in. Mistress Karai, I have tracked the weapon to a back alley a short distance from their meeting point, but have now gone down into the sewers. The tracer unit cannot detect them from underground, shall I pursue."

There was a short pause, causing the scout to fear that he had not performed as expected of him and that he was to be punished for losing his target.

"Wait where you are. I doubt they will be foolish enough to emerge in the same location, but you must check if they do. Wait until the signal returns then report back. Is there anything else the master should be aware of?" Closing his eyes, the scout prepared the disappointing news.

"Target 408 is also with them…" He paused, ready for an outburst, yet surprisingly, none came.

"Continue." The Mistress ordered emotionlessly.

"He was with the final turtle. All targets are now in one group and I assume are moving into their underground base. One is wounded."

There was a pause.

"So the weapon lied about his final mission. Well now, isn't that interesting." Another pause. "Orders remain the same. When you return, you will report directly to the Master about what you have witnessed. Understood?" A chill ran down the scout's spine. A meeting with the Master rarely ended well, yet composing himself, he responded.

"It would be my honour. Scout 36 out."

As he signed off, the scout attempted to calm his beating heart. Despite knowing the targets would not emerge for a long time, and would not do so here – he found himself praying for them to be foolish, to make themselves obvious to him so he could acquire one for his master. Only that would save him from a terrible fate he knew was awaiting his arrival.

With these thoughts weighing heavy in his mind, he settled down on the roof once more and waited.

 **I'm sorry this has taken so long to update but I have been super busy as of late. Sadly, this is kinda a filler chapter but the next will be exploring the past relationship between LH and Leonardo.**

 **SO QUESTIONS!**

 **\- What happened to make LH so mad at Leonardo?!**

 **\- Why on earth did Leonardo get out of the conversation in that manner?!**

 **\- What will the lair be like?**

 **\- WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON WITH THE FOOT?!**

 **Thanks for reading as always, I hope to update as soon as possible.**


	8. Admission

**Chapter 7**

 **Michelangelo P.O.V**

As the group entered the lair, all the kids who had been hanging around instantly froze. Mikey raised a hand in greeting, and with a smile, the room jumped back to life.

"Mikester! Ya back brah!"

"These your bros?"

"Who are the two adults? Are they going to hurt us Mikey?"

"Why's that one bleeding?" The final question silenced all the others and Mikey took the opportunity to interrupt the growing crowd. Of course – of all days for this to happen – nearly every single one of the thirty plus kids he and Big L had brought down here had to be present.

"GUYS!" He shouted over the noise, "We got wounded. I'll explain all once we get _my bro_ " he emphasised the last to words and received a couple of cheers, "stabilised! Are Minnie and Nick here?" Two hand shot up at the back of the crowd and Mikey breathed a small sigh of relief. Usually Big L would patch up the wounded, but after what had happened topside, he would prefer the next best thing. As LH and the twins led Donnie and Raph – who was still carrying the unconscious Leonardo – away from the group and towards their med bay in an adjoining room to the open area they were already in, Mikey quickly introduced the kids to the two humans who were both awkwardly standing back a little. "These two dudes are friends of my bros. This is April and Casey!"

Many of the kids joined in a large "Hello April and Casey" but some remained sullen and distrusting.

"Now I know we don't tend to trust adults," Mikey continued, "but they're cool. Let's hear them out." He turned to them and waved them forward, adding in a whisper, "just tell them a little something about yourselves. Something interesting and give them a reason not to fear you." With his back still turned to the children, he lowered his voice further. "Some of these guys have been abused by parents or carers or have even been abandoned. Trust is an easy thing to gain at first – but once broken, the heart will not be so willing to trust again."

April nodded. "That's beautiful." She whispered back, "I'll try."

Mikey grinned and turned back to the crowd, his arms open dramatically,

"I give you, APRIL!"

There was some polite clapping and a couple of wolf whistles, causing April to blush and Mikey to face palm. Kids were kids. In other words: unpredictable.

"Hi. I'm April, a genetics researcher up there." She pointed to the concrete above them and Mikey smiled. He knew kids like Amanda, Katie, B-B, Alex and Dav all were interested in science – especially after meeting mutants, so April was bound to pick up a few fans. "I work with Donnie – the turtle who was in a lab coat, and we look at genetic mutations – trying to work out how people like your friend here came to be." Her smile vanished for a moment, "But what I've learnt about the biology isn't important, what I think is key is the fact I've found out first-hand how badly some people react to the unknown, the unusual and the unwanted. Many of my colleagues shunned me for chasing such a bizarre field of research and although that is nothing compared to what some of you have faced, it showed me how important it is to find trust and kindness in just a few people."

She nodded and stepped back, and to Mikey's amazement, the vast majority of the kids cheered her. Somehow – in only a few words – these kids who had been through hell showed respect and admiration for a woman they had never before met – their faces losing the distrust it had held only seconds before. Mikey gave her a high five and pushed Casey forward. The man looked around nervously then muttered,

"My dad was an arsehole – a drunk. He was evil. Raph – the turtle carrying the bleeding guy – helped me out. Yeah – that's really all there is to me. I play hockey, fight bad guys. But I managed to get outta a bad place due to Raph. If it played out differently, I could have ended up down here… That would have been pretty cool though…" Casey faded off and took in the underground lair with interest – seemingly forgetting there was a crowd. Mikey was about to jump in and save him, but some of the kids at the front rushed forward and surrounded the man.

"Can you teach me how to skate?"

"Show me how to kick butt!"

"My dad was a drunk too. That's why I'm here."

"TEAM UP! Let's have a hockey match right now!"

Mikey laughed as the man was dragged off by the crowd, obviously keen to learn from his experiences. Taking the cue that they could leave, the rest of the group headed off to continue with whatever they had been doing before Mikey had returned, leaving only a small handful of eager faces looking to April. The science lovers cautiously came forward and began asking questions, allowing Mikey to slip off towards the med bay, desperate to see how Leonardo was.

He turned the corner and froze.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

 **Leonardo P.O.V**

I awoke gradually, attempting not too move so to hide the fact I was now conscious until I gained my bearings and discerned who was around me. I mentally checked myself over, there was pressure on my body and face, indicating my clothing was all still in place while my forearm stung from its wound but the pressure on it suggested I had been patched up. What an odd sensation, Splinter had always left my wounds to heal naturally so it would cause me the most pain, so this treatment was new to me.

"I think he stirred, can I have some space please?" That was Don. But where were we and who else was there? I could hear the heavy breathing of the alligator along with three others beside Donnie.

"You sure? He ain't moving." Definitely Raph. No one else spoke. If no one else was going to make their presence aware, I would have to find out the normal way: I opened my eyes and tried to sit up, only to have a tender hand force me back down. The scarred face of Donnie filled my vision, his chocolate coloured eyes shining with emotion. After a moment I understood. He had been concerned for my wellbeing... The concept was so bizarre it shocked me. This brother, who I had not met until a mere matter of days ago, was showing more care for me than the rat whom I believed as a father my entire life. He had stood by me even when-

"Leonardo?" Don's voice broke through my thoughts. I cursed. To be so easily distracted, especially within my own mind, was appalling. If they were after me at all, I would need to be on my best game yet as it stood currently, these new brothers of mine were becoming a distraction. I would have to amend that. Meeting his gaze I inclined my head slightly, allowing him to know I was somewhat conscious.

"How are you feeling?" Donnie leant down and placed his hand upon my forehead as if to check my temperature and I suppressed shiver at the touch. Forgetting to act weak, I acted on reflex and batted the hand away and shot up to sitting. Suddenly a young girl dressed in a too large sweatshirt and ripped jeans entered his line of sight.

"Mr Turtle," She began in a voice carrying too much authority for one so young. At the thought, I froze. Who was I to comment on age and responsibility when I was a mere twenty years of age? (Although, I reminded myself, only fifteen of those had been spent in a humanoid state) "Please don't aggravate you're injuries. Leatherhead's claws are sharp, but nothing vital was hit." I nodded at the girl, unsure what else I was in a position to do.

"So what happened back there?" Raph stepped forth, his tense frame not quite hiding the relief in his face that I was wake. My gaze flickered to the tall shadow behind my brother and the difficulty I had experienced only moments ago focusing faded away to nothing.

Leatherhead.

The mutant alligator towered above everyone else in the room, his cold yellow eyes narrowed to slits while his teeth glinted between his scaly lips. His gaze did not move from my face. Plan... I needed a plan...

I faked a shudder and quickly pulled my gaze from the enraged mutant.

"I honestly don't know." I muttered, turning my eyes to the floor as I swung my legs from the bed to stand, only to have a light shone in my eye by the human boy wearing a white shirt with one sleeve torn off.

"Please sit still a moment. I just need to check pupil dilation." He ordered. Grudgingly I allowed him to perform his tests.

"So have you ever seen Leatherhead before?" Donnie pushed his glasses up his beak a little, his stare as probing as ever. "When we were patching you up, he was pretty insistent that you two have um..."

"Fought. Battled. Nearly killed one another." The alligator hissed through clenched teeth. Hmm. That would be an interesting one to talk my way out of. I gave what I hoped was a convincing shocked expression, but I doubted how long I could continue to fool my brothers for.

"Really?" I muttered, feigning confusion. "But surely I would..." I left the thought unfinished and met Raph and then Donnie's judgemental stares. "You know I told you about the memory damage? Is it possible that there could have been other instances which I have not been aware of where anything could have happened?"

My genius brother shot the children a look before turning towards Leatherhead.

"So you're denying all knowledge of this?"

I shook my head.

"He seems familiar. But I don't recall any meeting..."

"LAIR!" The roar made everyone but me jump and take a large step away from Leatherhead. I quickly got to my feet, my hands raised in my defence. The alligator's eyes were wild in fury. "You dishonourable murderer!" Leatherhead roared, his teeth glinting in the pale lights. I assumed a defensive stance, wincing as the newly stitched skin of my forearm stretched at the movement. If I wasn't so used to fighting with injuries from when the rat used to make me continue my practise no matter the new wounds I had received the previous day, I would have to battle on as if I felt nothing. A small wound upon my forearm meant nothing.

"Leonardo, back down! You've just woken up!" Donnie's voice was full with worry, but also with a hint of awe hidden beneath. He clearly did not believe I was able to fight straight away after such an injury.

But I wasn't listening.

"You dare question my honour?" My voice was low as my mind flashed back over the horrors I'd endured, the sense of calm I worked so hard to maintain slipping momentarily. "You claim you know me, that I was responsible for your suffering, yet let me tell you this, if you want to sort this out now, here I am." The alligator grunted before charging at me. Then the fight was on.

I flipped over the bed just as Leatherhead charged, his snout down and teeth bared. I raised one hand, the fingers pointed outwards towards my opponent. I heard my brothers yell my name but my mind had moved elsewhere. In my years of study I had been taught how to allow instinct to take over and how to distance myself from fear. As the giant mutant passed me I jabbed at the pressure points around the tender skin of his neck, making him let out a roar of frustration. His claws flew towards my face, aiming at my sole remaining eye but I grasped it, bending the fingers backwards to decrease the power of the blow and altering the direction of the attack so Leatherhead crashed into the wall behind me. I swept my hands back to my centre ready for the next assault as the alligator heaved himself from the wall, his eyes hooded with fury.

I exhaled, maintaining my focus.

The mutant snatched up the metal pole of an IV line stand preparing to swing it at my head as I pulled one of the many hidden blades from the inside of my kimono, readying the steel to meet flesh when a voice cried out,

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

I saw the alligator blink the rage from his eyes, his expression darkening as Michelangelo entered the infirmary. Lowering my hands, I quickly took in the scene before me. The bed was overturned, the IV stand and metal tray scattered across the room, thick dents marring their surfaces. The two children who had demanded they examine me were now huddled behind the tense figure of Donatello while Raphael stood just to the side of them, equally tense, yet with the demeanour of a predator biding his time to pounce.

Mikey shot me a look, letting me know that any attempts to weasel my way out of the situation would not succeed. With a sigh I bowed towards him, bending at the middle. Splinter had taught me that the deeper the bow, the higher the level of respect, he wouldn't listen to my cries of pain when I complained that the movement sent shock waves of searing agony up my spine and numbed my legs. Raising my head from the bow I hid the wince as I felt the usual numb sensation spread down my legs, yet years of discipline made my face as impossible to read as ever. _Ninja cannot afford to show weakness,_ I reminded myself, cursing my earlier loss of control.

"I apologise for my behaviour and regret that I have offended your hospitality." I began, but that was as far as I got before Leatherhead jumped in once more, the hostility in his voice making the two children jump.

"Michelangelo, brother or not, this turtle cannot be trusted." His cold eyes never left mine. "He is a murderer."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

After a long moment, Mikey turned to the children.

"Minnie, Nick. Please go join the others. I think my bros and I have a little something to discuss."

 **Raph P.O.V**

The hot-headed turtle was eager to see how the fight between his new found brother and the giant alligator would turn out. He had been ready to jump into the fight to offer his assistance if Leonardo looked as if he were in trouble, however within the first couple of seconds of Leatherhead charging he realised something.

This battle was too fierce for him.

He and Casey had faced many rough fights, be it thugs or street gangs yet this mutant was something else. The mixture of his sheer size and untamed aggression made him an intimidating opponent, but as Raph watched Leonardo's face remain fixated upon Leatherhead, he realised how far behind his brother he was in terms of ability.

Leonardo had calmly avoided strikes meant to kill while delivering brutal pressure point jabs of his own - even though he was injured. Simply put, Raph couldn't have done that.

But there was a flip side of this. This brief fight had proven Leonardo's ability as a cold bloodied warrior. Leatherhead's claims now held some ground.

Now he could only watch the scared face of his brother as he appraised Mikey, seemingly lost for words at how to reply to such a brutal accusation.

Leo frowned before tucking his hands into those long sleeves of his and lowered himself onto a chair.

"Fine. I shall tell you the truth since I see there is no other way to avoid this situation." He began. Donnie quickly found the moment to interrupt.

"So you haven't been telling us the truth. That you don't really remember these accusations and it's all a result of memory damage?"

Leonardo's single blue eye blazed with intensity as he turned towards Raph and Donnie.

"I do only _vaguely_ remember Leatherhead, that much is true." He began, his voice as emotionless as always, "However I do remember slightly more than I have previously let on." He took a breath and stood once more as he began to pace the room, "You see, I haven't come to find you just because we are related, but rather we are all _targets_. The Oroku Foundation is in league with various scientific groups who wish to experiment on our kind and use them to develop weaponry. I know this -" He raised a hand just as Donnie opened his mouth once more to interrupt, bringing a smirk to Raph's face. "I know this because last year... _I_ was captured by the clan's scientists."

The smirk fell from Raph's lips. _His brother_ had been captured? Leonardo - clearly sensing his brothers' distress quickly turned to Leatherhead to try and move the conversation on. If there was one thing Raph had learnt about Leonardo in this short time, it was that he did not wish to talk about himself and his experiences unless he could help it. On the other hand, the alligator appeared unsurprised by this information, albeit still wary of the turtle he had just accused, but there was something else in his eyes. An understanding of some sort.

"Leatherhead," The one eyed turtle continued, "For weeks after I escaped I was haunted by dreams full of screams of the dying and wounded. I thought nothing of these visions until one face showed up, you. In my dream I heard you cursing my name, begging me to spare your life, that there were children depending on you." He took a breath and Raph noticed the tension in his brother's shoulders, but thankfully he also saw the hostile glare of Leatherhead fading into acceptance. "I then realised that my memories were missing for long periods of time during my imprisonment and I came to the conclusion that they had tested some sort of mind control serum on me." His voice dropped in pitch, regret clear in his tone. "I did not wish to alarm you all until I had found that you were all safe, however now I realise I cannot hide this from you anymore. We are in danger, and I intend to rectify my mistakes and protect you all." He bowed deeply to the alligator and Raph was certain he saw a flicker of pain in his brother's face. "Leatherhead, I am deeply sorry for deceiving you before, I believed it too soon to reveal the truth to my kin, however, you left me no choice. I apologise for my past actions and I am working to make amends."

For a moment the room was still, all eyes resting upon the two mutants who - mere minutes ago had been at one another's throats - were appraising each other in silence. Then, with a grunt Leatherhead bowed back slightly, nowhere near as low as Leonardo, but enough to signify some sort of truce.

"I will believe you, Leonardo." The alligator finally spoke, "I recall the distant look in your eye - something I once attributed to a cold blooded killer. I apologise for injuring you." Leonardo waved the apology off but the larger mutant wasn't finished, "But know this. Betray me or Michelangelo and I shall not hold back." A nod was his only response but it was enough.

Mikey let out a long whistle.

"Well..." He shook his head, a grin stretching across his lips, "How about something to eat while we talk?" Leonardo turned to his other two brothers who had remained mostly silent for the duration of the exchange.

"And I must apologise to you both. For keeping this from you, and for betraying your trust. But know that everything I have done is to keep you safe."

Raph was the one to find his voice first.

"So those bastards cut you up and made you kill some mutants?" Leonardo merely inclined his head, no words were needed. "Then we're gonna make them pay." Raph couldn't be certain, but he could swear he saw the faintest of smiles play across his brother's lips.

Finally, he could go back to bashing in some heads.

Those sadistic monsters would never know what hit them...

 **He he he... So yeah, Kinda got carried away with 1056 Hours and forgot about this. But don't worry, I fully intend to finish this story as I do love this concept, even if I may so myself! :)**

 **A big shout out to** Only Hope No Fear **who reminded me that I still had a lot to answer for with this AU and for asking me to update soon.**

 **I shall return as soon as possible.**

 **So:**

 **-Is that the full truth?**

 **\- How shall the bros react to this story?**

 **\- Who are these mysterous people who keep messing with them?**

 **\- Will I give you the lovely brotherly bonding scene you amazing readers deserve in the next chapter?! (Spoiler alert, hopefully yes!)**

 **Please leave your thoughts.**

 **LL99 Out.**


End file.
